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Creating German Communism, 1890-1990
Eric Weitz presents a social and political history of German communism from its beginnings at the end of the nineteenth century to the collapse of the German Democratic Republic in 1990. In the first book in English or in German to explore this entire period, Weitz describes the emergence of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) against the background of Imperial and Weimar Germany, and clearly explains how the legacy of these periods shaped the character of the GDR to the very end of its existence.
In Weimar Germany, social democrats and Germany's old elites tried frantically to discipline a disordered society. Their strategies drove communists out of the workplace and into the streets, where the party gathered supporters in confrontations with the police, fascist organizations, and even socialists and employed workers. In the streets the party forged a politics of display and spectacle, which encouraged ideological pronouncements and harsh physical engagements rather than the mediation of practical political issues. Male physical prowess came to be venerated as the ultimate revolutionary quality. The KPD's gendered political culture then contributed to the intransigence that characterized the German Democratic Republic throughout its history. The communist leaders of the GDR remained imprisoned in policies forged in the Weimar Republic and became tragically removed from the desires and interests of their own populace.
In Weimar Germany, social democrats and Germany's old elites tried frantically to discipline a disordered society. Their strategies drove communists out of the workplace and into the streets, where the party gathered supporters in confrontations with the police, fascist organizations, and even socialists and employed workers. In the streets the party forged a politics of display and spectacle, which encouraged ideological pronouncements and harsh physical engagements rather than the mediation of practical political issues. Male physical prowess came to be venerated as the ultimate revolutionary quality. The KPD's gendered political culture then contributed to the intransigence that characterized the German Democratic Republic throughout its history. The communist leaders of the GDR remained imprisoned in policies forged in the Weimar Republic and became tragically removed from the desires and interests of their own populace.
472 pages, Paperback
First published December 23, 1996
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About the author
Eric D. Weitz
10 books11 followersEric D. Weitz is Dean of Humanities and Arts and Distinguished Professor of History at the City College of New York.
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October 1, 2018
Weitz argues that the behaviour of the East German party, the SED, and it's inability to adapt in the Cold War era, was based in the harsh experiences of the earlier KPD in the Weimar era. Driven from the workplace, the KPD developed a hypee-masculine street identity, which praised fighting and strict hierarchy.
This brutal aspect of the KPD was strengthened by horrors witnessed in the long years in the Soviet Union, which also taught the party the importance of absolute obiedieince. The street-fighting aspect of the KPD stifled its ability to attract women and moderates, who were in any case unwelcome in its ranks.
Overall, I found in this book a useful means of combining social and political history, altough I would have liked more chapters on the GDR than the two it was given.
This brutal aspect of the KPD was strengthened by horrors witnessed in the long years in the Soviet Union, which also taught the party the importance of absolute obiedieince. The street-fighting aspect of the KPD stifled its ability to attract women and moderates, who were in any case unwelcome in its ranks.
Overall, I found in this book a useful means of combining social and political history, altough I would have liked more chapters on the GDR than the two it was given.
Displaying 1 of 1 review